I’m walking the dog. It’s misty, there’s an autumnal feel and fragrance in the air and it’s not really quite light yet. Getting there, but it’s grey and slightly dark, however, the dog has to go out. It’s part of being a responsible dog owner.
Each dog walk I do is between 2.5k to 3.5k steps and, as we know, steps are essential to keep us healthy these days as we have trackers for the lot. Watches, wrist bands, phones – all gadgets are looking at our health these days and ensuring that we know how on (or off) track we are.
The recent evidence I’m seeing says that in midlife we are looking to achieve more like 7k steps per day, so that’s two dog walks, and a bit of housework and we’re good. Bear with me, I’m going somewhere with this.
7k steps per day plus 20 minutes of “proper” exercise – strength training, cardiovascular work which could actually be the walking if you’re fast enough, and stretching – and you are moving well. Not only that there is increasing evidence that if you get moving in the morning it is far better for us midlifers.
But here’s the thing. My motivation to exercise is the dog and his wellbeing. He must be walked, because otherwise his physical and mental health are being compromised, so I do it for him.
Midlife women throughout our lives do most things for others. We organise Christmas, send birthday cards to family, arrange the relatives coming over and run the household in most cases. In the vast majority of households we are home makers and we are givers. But what about us? If we know that 7k steps and 20 minutes of other exercise are optimal for our health every day why don’t most of us actively embrace this even without the dog? Why do so many of us put our own health requirements last? I’m not certain that without the dog I would achieve my 7k steps per day so I’m clearly less important in my mind than the dog. That's a statement I never thought I'd speak out loud.
It’s an age old thing, this not bothering about ourselves, but we seriously need to change our mindset, not just on exercise but in all matters – food, self care, allocation of our time - we need to start putting ourselves first.
With this new self-care philosophy in mind, let’s look at the Nip + Fab Glycolic Bubble Mask. This is a key bit of me time from the October box. This mask is a ten minute, relax, I’m-sorting-my-face-out mask. It comes out of the pack and onto clean skin where it will gently oxygenate and “bubble” as the ingredients starting gently lifting dead cells off your face. This mask is an exfoliating mask and as such has active ingredients that will help your skin glow. Once the mask has been on for ten minutes, remove, massage the product into your skin to ensure that it’s reached all parts and then rinse off thoroughly. Moisturise and off to sleep you go, to wake up with fresh skin cells and a glow that will make you look fabulous!
Cell turnover is key because we want to be putting our amazing skincare serums, moisturisers and night creams onto active, fresh skin, not dead skin cells and that’s why this mask is so useful. So, let’s start with a ten minute relax, that is time for us to enjoy whatever we want to do and let's be clear, self care is vital for our health - start now.
The Nip + Fab Bubble mask is part of the TOYL October Box - RRP £7.00
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